Results 601-620 of 2,990 for speaker:Ossian Smyth

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The Senator's first question was why the projects were decoupled earlier this year. I do not know the answer to that. I will ask the Minister to get the Senator an answer. I do not have specific information on that. The Senator generally felt that there was no information provided. Maybe she was already aware that the OPW is about to make its planning application in the coming weeks...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: It is broad.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The second half of a decade is five years. That is the information I have available. I am happy to revert to the Minister if the Senator wants to ask further questions or look for further clarifications from her. That is the information I have.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Family Reunification (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I welcome our guests. I thank the Senator for making his case. I am here on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, who unfortunately has another commitment and cannot be here. At the outset, I want to assure the Senator that the Minister and her Department are acutely aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and are working with colleagues in the Department of Foreign...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Family Reunification (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Senator. I will revert with his comments to the official, who may be watching right now. If he has not heard this, I will revert to him with the Senator’s comments about the urgency of this particular case. The Minister recognises the importance of international protection recipients and residents in Ireland from outside the EEA having their family members reunited with...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Having regard to the continued high energy costs for households, I am pleased to commend the Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023 to the House. This Bill will establish two schemes to give further support to households with their electricity bills, following the success of the previous two electricity costs emergency benefit schemes, in 2022 and 2023. The...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senators very much. Senators McGahon and Garvey welcomed the Bill. They pointed out the improved fairness and the fact that people who received double payments last time will be excluded if their homes were vacant and many of the people who fell through the cracks last time will receive payments this time around. Deputy Boylan pointed out that she is happy we are including a...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Senator Boylan. I will take amendments Nos. 6 and 11 together. Amendment No. 6 relates to section 5 of the Bill and the functions of electricity suppliers in relation to the scheme. Amendment No. 11 relates to the Title of the Bill. These amendments seek to insert text or remove arrears limits on prepaid meters. As with the previous electricity credit schemes, prepayment...

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Amendment No. 7 relates to section 6 of the Bill and the review by electricity suppliers for customers who did not receive payment under the scheme. It is necessary that we have this review in place because we are going to exclude a large number of people with vacant homes. We want to make sure that we are rightly excluding them and that we are dealing with exceptional cases in a fair way....

Seanad: Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: The preparation for this Bill was quite different from last year's legislation. A great deal of work went into this, starting approximately six months ago. I thank the departmental officials for their work on the Bill, as well as the community groups, voluntary groups, etc., that engaged with me. For example, the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul...

Seanad: Ban on Dumping New Products Bill 2022: Committee Stage (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I did not know that Senator Garvey had been planning to join Sinn Féin.

Seanad: Ban on Dumping New Products Bill 2022: Committee Stage (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: Would Senator Boylan have let her in? This is a Bill to prevent the dumping of unsold products. There is a moral imperative on commercial bodies that are taking part in the circular economy to fulfil their obligations in the same way that we expect that individuals will segregate their waste. It is for that reason that I brought in regulations earlier in the summer that require commercial...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: As the Deputy rightly identifies, the OPW is not the only agency or organ of State responsible for dealing with flooding. It does flood prevention works but Uisce Éireann is involved in making sure there is sufficient drainage, in particular for new housing, as the Deputy pointed out. We have a massive housing programme, so we needed a lot of investment in Uisce Éireann. That is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy. I do not have the specific answer for him but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to get him an answer on the question of an additional ambulance with eight staff located in Bantry. I thank him for acknowledging the success of the helicopter emergency service. He does recognise that this is not just about the number of ambulances providing a good emergency...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the recent flooding in north Louth and Dundalk. It is of both local and national importance. I appreciate and fully share the Deputy’s concern for the communities and businesses affected by last week’s flooding event. I am answering this question on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service (8 Nov 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for asking this question. I will answer it on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The question relates to ambulance services in west Cork. As the Deputy will be aware, the NAS serves the west Cork region 24-7 through a highly skilled workforce of intermediate care operatives, paramedics and advanced paramedics. There is a fleet of...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I thank the Deputy for her amendment. As she knows, European law supercedes national legislation. Whatever is in the European law applies and has to apply. The Council regulation states: Member States shall ensure that all surplus revenues resulting from the application of the cap on market revenues are used to finance measures in support of final electricity customers that mitigate the...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I want to thank the Deputies for their remarks. The legislation includes the notion of ring-fencing. It may not use the word "targeted" but it is required to be targeted in law and that is understood. It is not just understood but it is legally enforceable because it is within the EU law. I have outlined to the Deputies the mechanism by which that works. It will be a scheme drawn up by...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I am tempted to address all the points but I will stick to the amendment. To Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, climate action is all about electrification, including electrification of transport and heating. In urban areas there will be district heating, which is not electrification but there is a move towards electrification. Therefore, there needs to be an increased focus on price regulation...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (18 Oct 2023)

Ossian Smyth: I will start by responding to Deputy Whitmore. There is one period specified in this Bill and it applies to the prices that were obtained by generators, to hedging arrangements, to traders and to other intermediaries. The price is to be captured through any of those different mechanisms. I am not sure it would make sense to have a different period for hedging arrangement from the period...